BOSTON -- Keyon Dooling sat at a locker as Jeff Green, Jason Terry, and Chris Wilcox listened with somber expressions on their faces. The Celtics had just lost a game in early January and their struggles with consistency continued.

As the media began to fill the locker room, Dooling ignored all distractions and continued to speak. He stayed seated to deliver his message. He stood up to demonstrate his advice. All the while, he never took his eyes off the trio of players, and they didn't break their attention from him.

Dooling never wanted to leave the game completely when he retired from the NBA in September. After an emotion-filled summer, he walked away from the Boston Celtics as a veteran guard and re-joined the organization as a player development coordinator.

Just months into his new role, he is already being credited for delivering the motivation and positivity he was so passionate about bringing during his career.

Since Jan. 4, the Celtics have gone from a 14-17 team on a four-game losing streak searching for an identity to 20-17 club that has won six straight. Following the C's 100-89 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats, Rajon Rondo credited his former teammate and close friend for helping the team rediscover their swagger.

"Keyon Dooling has actually helped, actually," said Rondo. "He’s been in the locker room, amping guys up. His personality, I think it started with him."

Dooling earned the nickname "The Reverend" last season for his inspirational and impassioned talks. His trademark question, "What's driving you?" has forced countless athletes to look within and realize what they were playing for each day.

Rondo has noticed a change in the locker room since Dooling began infusing his personality within the walls. The point guard has seen his teammates playing more loosely on the court, with role players like Courtney Lee and Jeff Green smiling more often since the team began hitting their stride.

“Our spirits are better, obviously," said Rondo. "It's not fun losing, and since we've been winning, the locker room has been a little bit more relaxed and not so tense. Guys are smiling again and joking, so it's back to where we’ve been from the start.

"We lost a couple games, but we never got down."

Just the type of optimistic sentiments Dooling would express, too.

Obviously the players are winning the games, but it is so great to have an inspirational leader like Dooling in the locker room to pump the guys up.

BOSTON -- Keyon Dooling sat at a locker as Jeff Green, Jason Terry, and Chris Wilcox listened with somber expressions on their faces. The Celtics had just lost a game in early January and their struggles with consistency continued.

As the media began to fill the locker room, Dooling ignored all distractions and continued to speak. He stayed seated to deliver his message. He stood up to demonstrate his advice. All the while, he never took his eyes off the trio of players, and they didn't break their attention from him.

Dooling never wanted to leave the game completely when he retired from the NBA in September. After an emotion-filled summer, he walked away from the Boston Celtics as a veteran guard and re-joined the organization as a player development coordinator.

Just months into his new role, he is already being credited for delivering the motivation and positivity he was so passionate about bringing during his career.

Since Jan. 4, the Celtics have gone from a 14-17 team on a four-game losing streak searching for an identity to 20-17 club that has won six straight. Following the C's 100-89 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats, Rajon Rondo credited his former teammate and close friend for helping the team rediscover their swagger.

"Keyon Dooling has actually helped, actually," said Rondo. "He’s been in the locker room, amping guys up. His personality, I think it started with him."

Dooling earned the nickname "The Reverend" last season for his inspirational and impassioned talks. His trademark question, "What's driving you?" has forced countless athletes to look within and realize what they were playing for each day.

Rondo has noticed a change in the locker room since Dooling began infusing his personality within the walls. The point guard has seen his teammates playing more loosely on the court, with role players like Courtney Lee and Jeff Green smiling more often since the team began hitting their stride.

“Our spirits are better, obviously," said Rondo. "It's not fun losing, and since we've been winning, the locker room has been a little bit more relaxed and not so tense. Guys are smiling again and joking, so it's back to where we’ve been from the start.

"We lost a couple games, but we never got down."

Just the type of optimistic sentiments Dooling would express, too.

Obviously the players are winning the games, but it is so great to have an inspirational leader like Dooling in the locker room to pump the guys up.

I didn't even know he was still with the team. Cool. I like Dooling a lot and wanted him to stay on the team.

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"If somebody would have told you when he was playing with the Knicks that Nate Robinson was going to change a big time game and he was going to do it mostly because of his defense, somebody would have got slapped." Mark Jackson

I wanted the Celtics to re-sign Dooling this off-season, mainly for his locker room presence. Now we've got the best of both worlds. We've got upgrades on the court as our back up guards, but we've still got the reverend in the locker room.

Junior Seau in 2006, announced his retirement, then signed with the Pats in less than a week.

Allen Iverson in 2009, it was reported he was retiring and then signed with the Sixers about a week later.

Then you got guys like Roger Clemens and Brett Favre. Act retired, do nothing all off season, then at the least minute or even after the season starts decide they don't want to be retired and sign somewhere. Kind of like PJ Brown in 2008.

Though in a lot of these examples (like Seau, Iverson), the retirement ended when a better team/situation presented itself. Dooling would be coming back to the same situation/team he left.

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After 18 months with their Bigs, the Littles were: 46% less likely to use illegal drugs, 27% less likely to use alcohol, 52% less likely to skip school, 37% less likely to skip a class